Catherine

I am an ex teacher with twelve years tutoring experience and an excellent track record in improving grades for students at GCSE , A Level and IB. I also assist students with personal statements for University entrance through the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and with uni dissertations. I read English at Oxford University and retrained to teach after a career in journalism with the BBC.

Tutoring Experience

I have taught a wide age and ability range in both grammar and comprehensive schools, the private sector and in tutoring sessions. More recently I have also taken homeschooled pupils through to exam success. Most of my students have sat AQA, Edexcel and IGCSE exams and I am fully conversant with the skill demands, set texts and different pathways through these assessments.
My A Level/IB tutees have mostly prepared for Russell Group University entrance and have been targeting high grades.

Tutoring Approach

I start by asking to be briefed as fully as possible on the individual needs of the student - and the more students themselves can articulate what they need help with and ask questions during sessions the better. Often students struggle with structuring responses, in which case a scaffolded approach will help, demonstrating how arguments and discussions can be established and followed through. Many pupils have difficulty interpreting and writing about poetry and Shakespearean drama, and in these cases a detailed unpacking of language, literary devices and connotation is necessary, before moving to a written response. I always encourage pupils to think for themselves and have the courage of their convictions - as long as they can back them up with evidence from the text! The real value of one to one or small group teaching is that with targeted intervention, students feel they are making progress and as their confidence improves with positive support and immediate feedback, so will their ability.